Nixdorf B E, Davis S S, DeVoogd T J
Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853.
J Comp Neurol. 1989 Jun 15;284(3):337-49. doi: 10.1002/cne.902840302.
Golgi-impregnated neurons in the song control nucleus hyperstriatum ventralis, pars caudalis (HVc) in male and female canaries (Serinus canarius) have been divided into classes, primarily on the basis of interneuronal variability in spine density and dendritic branching pattern. At least four neuronal classes are found in HVc: aspinous neurons and three classes of spiny neurons. The "furry" dendrite (FD) cell class consists of neurons with long dendrites that are densely packed with spines. Their cell bodies are between 10 and 15 microns in diameter. Neurons of the thick dendrite (TD) cell class also have long dendrites but only about half as many spines along their dendritic branches. Their cell bodies are between 12 and 18 microns in diameter. Neurons of the short dendrite (SD) cell class are characterized by a low spin density, very thin dendrites, and a small dendritic field. Their cell bodies are between 9 and 13 microns in diameter. The TD class can be divided into two subclasses on the basis of the shape of the dendritic field. Principal component factor analysis and cluster analysis provide objective support for this classification scheme. Neurons of subclass TD2 are sexually dimorphic. Neurons from males have dendritic trees that are about 70% larger and have 40% more dendritic endings than do neurons from females. There may also be small sex differences in dendritic morphology in the SD class and in the remainder of the TD class. There are clearly no sex differences in the dendritic morphology of neurons from the FD class. The direct pathway which is believed responsible for dimorphic song production in canaries is from HVc to nucleus robustus archistriatalis (RA) and then to the motor neurons which control the avian vocal organ. It is surprising that the most striking dimorphism in the present data occurs in neurons which, on morphological grounds, are unlikely to project to RA.
在雄性和雌性金丝雀（Serinus canarius）的歌曲控制核——腹侧超纹状体尾侧部（HVc）中，经高尔基染色的神经元已被分类，主要依据是神经元间在棘密度和树突分支模式上的变异性。在HVc中至少发现了四类神经元：无棘神经元和三类有棘神经元。“多毛”树突（FD）细胞类由树突长且密布棘的神经元组成。它们的细胞体直径在10至15微米之间。粗树突（TD）细胞类的神经元也有长树突，但沿其树突分支的棘数量只有前者的一半左右。它们的细胞体直径在12至18微米之间。短树突（SD）细胞类的神经元特点是棘密度低、树突非常细且树突野小。它们的细胞体直径在9至13微米之间。TD类可根据树突野的形状分为两个亚类。主成分因子分析和聚类分析为这种分类方案提供了客观支持。TD2亚类的神经元具有性别二态性。雄性的神经元树突树比雌性的大约大70%，树突末梢多40%。在SD类和TD类的其余部分，树突形态可能也存在微小的性别差异。FD类神经元的树突形态显然不存在性别差异。在金丝雀中，被认为与二态性鸣叫产生有关的直接通路是从HVc到古纹状体粗核（RA），然后到控制鸟类发声器官的运动神经元。令人惊讶的是，目前数据中最显著的二态性出现在那些从形态学角度不太可能投射到RA的神经元中。
